The Kill Tony-fication of Standup Comedy
Standup's current boom is reaching a breaking point...
Comedians are stage clowns who are chasing after massive attention, and nowadays it seems like the clown car to success has been overstuffed with one too many jokers: None can seem to get in it, and none can manage to get out of it. Standup comedy has arguably become too popular for it's own good. Through the power of streaming, social media, and podcasting, lovers of standup has never had more access to their favorite comics.
But, it is a blessing and a curse: People's need for a constant content stream has created a huge beast, made out of mostly uninspired crowd work clips, comedy podcasts that run-on for hours, promoting products much harder than selling it's listeners on what is funny, and arrogant hacks being praised for their ability to extract the life out of the comedy ecosystem, to create shows that make a mockery out the very pursuit of a person wanting to be a professional comedian.
The popular live podcast show Kill Tony is nothing more than an glorified open mic, with a band, and guests panelists. One of things that comedians crave a lot is stage time, which can be hard to find, even at local open mics. Tony Hinchcliffe offers any random comic ( mostly inexperienced ones ) whose name is drawn from a hat the chance to “ wow the crowd ” with jokes in 1 minute or less. And if it doesn't go well, the comedians on the panel will happily roast the shit out the person who just bombed in front of a huge audience: Sorta of like the way that Tony did recently, in front of those MAGA hats, at that Trump Rally, at Madison Square Garden.
Veteran comedian Richard F. Williams made an excellent video about the deeper issues with Kill Tony, which I recommend you watch:
The Kill Tony-fication of standup comedy ( Sponsored by their Lord and Savior, Joseph Rogan ) has even hit local scenes, with many mini versions of KT popping up in bars and pizza shops, taking the power away from comics who wants to simply practice their craft, not earn on the spot critiques or a score like they're like they're in a poetry slam! Standup comedy ( more than any other art form ) is the king of instant feedback.
There's no need to make the open mic into a comedy workshop because it is already a comedy workshop!!! Hosts need to stop complicating something that already works well enough as it is.
No. I don't hate panel shows. I don't hate contest. I don't even hate comedians who are extremely richer than I am. I don't know any of these folks, so it's not personal. I just despise the format of the show, and I can't understand why so many comedians who have been established for years keep supporting this crap. Even Bill Burr called the show's format out, right in front of Tony’s face, on the only episode that he was featured on. ( Notice that he's never been back on Kill Tony after that )
The 80’s boom of standup comedy was followed by a crashed, once the decade ended. It was like a dark ages for comics, and yet it sparked an era that gave us some of the best comedians ever, like Bill Burr, Louis CK, Patrice O'Neal, and etc. Maybe another period where comedians aren't as beloved will put some fire back underneath these lazy and hacky comedians. The biggest boom in the standup history appears to be at breaking point, and honestly, for the sake of comedy, it might a blessing in disguise.